Posted on 25 July 2013
‘We are resilient, we can adapt’ – Apolosa
Robaigau always says when talking about
the biggest challenge of the 21st century,
climate change.
He doesn’t necessarily
say this because he is in the business of
climate change adaptation, and is supposed
to sound strong and optimistic and not be
a gloom and doom prophet.
He says it because it’s
something he truly believes in.
“We might be from different communities
and belong to different races but we all
face a common challenge called climate change,”
he said.
“And in the face of this challenge we must
stand together, and stand strong in adapting.
“We are a resilient people, it’s in our
blood.”
Twenty five year old
Apolosa Robaigau aka Bai is a Climate Change
Field Officer for WWF South Pacific. As
his job title implies, he is often out in
the fields, working with communities of
Macuata and Ba provinces to build their
resilience to climate change.
Things like massive
riverbank erosion, sea level rise, unexpected
and extreme weather events can be scary
and confusing. Bai’s job is to unravel the
science behind these natural ‘mysteries’
and empower communities with knowledge so
that they better understand and deal with
a changing climate.
Sometimes he finds that
climate change has been made a scapegoat
for changes to the environment largely caused
by human activity.
For example, the clearing
of vegetation near riverbanks and coastlines
is a major factor contributing to the washing
away of riverbanks threatening the security
of nearby settlements.
“Climate change is a
reality but most times we also play a big
role in worsening its effects on our communities
and lives,” he said.
“My work gives me a close interaction with
communities that are often the most vulnerable
to climate change and nothing pleases me
more than helping them build their resilience
and adapting to a changing climate.
“And taking responsibility for the damages
that we cause to the environment is part
and parcel of that adaptation process.”
Robaigau can closely
indentify with coastal communities as he
grew up in one himself.
A child of Nabuni Village
on Koro Island in the Lomaiviti province,
Bai enjoyed most his childhood out and about
in nature, either at sea, on the plantation,
at the river, exploring.
And every now and then he questioned the
origin of life.
How did the tiniest fish that he spotted
in the mangrove swamps come about? Insects,
leaves, trees, wave action, to the kings
of the marine food chain. Life intrigued
the boy Bai and embedded a gnawing curiosity
that shaped his education path.
“A Christian boy I am
continually reminded that God is the author
of all life,” he said.
“All life is His handiwork but I wondered
how the fish grows, and there are thousands
of different kinds of insects and animals
and thought ‘this is a real smart God!”
So naturally he loved
the sciences and many years later at the
Fiji National University the ‘blueprint’
of God literally blew him out of the water.
“It was amazing to learn
about how life began from a single cell
and multiplied into gigantic trees and filled
the ocean with life,” he said.
“But somehow learning all these you feel
that you are only getting a glimpse of something
much bigger.
“The way things just work in sync, the complex
biological and ecological processes and
the interdependence of life, you know for
sure there is a master planner.”
Now when he looks back
to that young boy from Nabuni, he realises
that studying science has opened up a world
he could hardly envisage as a child. It’s
helped him appreciate the natural environment
that he enjoyed so much even more and developed
a passion for protecting it.
At a turning point in
global history when the world is faced with
the enormity of climate change, Bai says
he is glad that his passion for nature is
helping him help others deal with these
changes.
“I’ve learnt so much
over the years from school, workshops and
field activities and what I am primarily
eager about is using all this knowledge
to help Fijians build their resilience and
adapt to climate change,” he said.
One of the things that
he focuses on is defining the differences
between climate and weather and what influences
it, the climate systems, what’s happening
in the atmosphere, what’s happening in the
ocean currents and what’s the situation
in Fiji.
From there he talks
about how the climate affects our food supply,
water supply, health and different sectors
of the country’s economy.
Climate change is not
always bad, there are opportunities for
the economy progress but we have to adapt
to it.
Bai also works with
communities to determine their vulnerability
to climate change for instance a community
location maybe more prone to landslides,
so once that is determined, together with
the community an action plan for adaption
is drawn up and implemented.
“We have different callings
in life and life takes us different paths,
this is the path I have chosen because I
get to work with both communities and in
nature.
“I enjoy working for both and it leaves
me happy knowing that I am helping communities
help themselves at a critical time in the
history of the world.”
+ More
Song of the Hills
Posted on 25 July 2013
From the rich green velvety depths of the
hillside sprang forth the most joyous music,
as the Vaga chorused with the Ruve, Kula,
the Kikau and other singers of the forest
in a sweet orchestra.
Every morning and evening,
Nabavatu village was serenaded with these
melodies, a delight for villagers who often
sought out the Vaga or the Parrot, which
by all accounts was a special occupant of
the mountains with her brightly colored
plumes and special talking ability.
But that was 40 years
ago.
These days the village
is oddly silent, the threadbare forest is
quiet for the musical inhabitants of the
hills have disappeared.
Nabavatu village within
Dreketi district in Macuata province is
located 120 kilometers west of Labasa town,
fringing the border with Bua province.
This chiefly village
is home to the Vunivalu Dreketi, traditional
leader of Nabavatu, Nakanacagi, Vunisea,
Nasigasiga and Nabiti within the Dreketi
district in Macuata province.
It’s situated on a rocky
hillside overlooking the deepest river in
Fiji, the Dreketi River.
Fifty nine year old
Esala Tawake, the village headman said they
guessed the disappearance of these birds
may be linked to the massive clearing of
forests for farming.
“They lost their homes
so they left,” he said.
“There are four clans
from three villages that use the hills for
farming root-crops and yaqona (Kava) so
that comes to as many as 400 farmers so
there is a lot of farming activity that
has happened.
“Whenever one villager
decided to do some farming, they went up
the mountain, felled big indigenous trees
like the Dakua, and usually cleared the
land by burning so a lot of the forest was
destroyed by fire.
“Back in those days,
we didn’t realise or were even aware that
we were doing something wrong or even imagine
that one day we wouldn’t hear those songs
anymore.”
Along with the birds
that made their home in the shelter of the
gigantic trees, wild pigs also dwindled
in numbers and are now rarely seen.
Wild pig hunts that
were a form of ritualistic celebration,
a passage of rites of sorts for village
boys into manhood, and cultural fun that
often broke the dreariness of daily routine,
is also a thing of the past.
Areas of land that were
not farmed but had been inadvertently cleared
were planted with thousands of pine trees.
Life carried on and
the missing birds and pigs were missed but
their loss never really raised any alarm
until water supply started suffering as
well.
Tawake said his village
is known to be hydro paradise, with water
springs bubbling all over the hillside but
even these disappeared as well.
Soon the main water
source at a spot called Namatakalou started
to dry up thrusting the seriousness of the
loss of the forest into the heart of village
discussions.
Decisions were made
and rules about forest clearing were implemented.
Villagers agreed they
had to take the first step re-grow their
lost forests
With the help of WWF
South Pacific’s Sustainable Coastal Resource
Use Management programme team, a reforestation
initiative got underway on the hills where
the Vaga once called home.
The tree planting exercise
funded through the Global Environment Facility
Small Grants Programme was held over two
days at the end of which about 1070 seedlings
were planted consisting of indigenous and
adopted tree species.
The list of tree species
included teak, vesi, tavola, marasa, damanu,
dakua makadre, dakua salulsau, kaudamu,
mandarin, cevua, yasi and camquat lemon.
Trees were also planted
near the water source at Namatakalou to
protect it.
WWF South Pacific’s
Sustainable Landuse Officer Unaisi Malani
noted that reforestation has additional
benefits for villagers.
“What they have planted
is a big investment not only to the present
villagers of Nabavatu but especially for
the generation to come,” he said.
“Replanting of the local
tree seedlings will limit the growth and
introduction of exotic plants, and the fruit
bearing seedlings may provide the villagers
with food, traditional medicine and some
form of income benefiting the households
of Nabavatu.”
Tawake the village headman
said they have also decided to harvest their
pine trees.
“We believe the deep
roots of the pine tree have literally emptied
out water stocks and threatened the main
one we drink from so we want it removed
and replaced with the indigenous trees that
we once had,” he said.
“We believe that all
we have lost will return.
“It may not be witnessed
by this generation but we want to give our
future generations this gift and protect
the source of a basic need which is our
water supply.
“The wild pigs will
occupy our forests once more and the Vaga
and other birds that fill up the forests
and the hillside with music will also come
back.
“We look forward to
that day.”
+ More
Nailaga Mangrove Ban
Posted on 18 July 2013
Nailaga district in Ba province has banned
the harvesting of mangroves for any purpose
to protect their food source and mitigate
the impacts of flooding.
District representative
Jeremaia Tuwai said the decision was reached
at the districts 2ndquarterly meeting and
will complement the aims of a development
plan that has been drawn up with the assistance
of WWF South Pacific.
Tuwai said it is a decision
supported by all clan leaders.
He said the ecological
importance of mangrove forests has dawned
on the people after various awareness exercises
on climate change adaptation with a specific
focus on mangrove protection and coastal
resilience, sustainable land management
and river care.
A focus point of the
20 year district development plan is the
reforestation of mangrove areas, through
the replanting of mangroves along riverbanks.
A district consultation
exercise carried out before the plan was
drawn up identified harvesting for various
purposes like firewood and house-building,
as the biggest threat to the survival of
mangrove forests.
“So we are advocating
with all villages in the district, Nawaqarua,
Natutu, Votua, Koroqaqa and Nailaga about
the need to harvest only dead mangroves
for firewood,” Tuwai said.
The Tikina has also
appealed to the Department of Environment
and Department of Land and Water Resources
for a resolution to the deaths of acreages
of mangrove forests during dredging exercises
at the Ba River.
“We support dredging
wholeheartedly and just want to see that
our mangroves are not harmed in the process,”
he said.
Tuiwai said mangroves
are an important source of livelihood for
about 2000 people in the district who directly
rely on it for food and a source of income
through the crabbing industry.
“Mangroves also have
an additional medicinal value and important
of course is the climate resilience aspect
that we have learnt about through the awareness
exercises and the protection it affords
our coastlines from heavy wave action,”
he said.
Weekly visits to villages
raising awareness about the protection of
mangroves are also being carried out.
“We need the support
of the people of Nailaga for the ban to
work and for that to happen we hope to raise
understanding about the important role of
mangrove forests so that our people readily
support the stance we are taking,” he said.
+ More
Engaging the Future
Posted on 18 July 2013
WWF South Pacific’s Turtle Roadshow team
hit the roads to Tailevu recently, to engage
future leaders in an important approach
to turtle conservation work in Fiji.
Marine Species Coordinator
Laitia Tamata sums up the whole concept
of working with Fijian students to boost
the recovery of the sea turtle population
as one that is holistic and forward thinking.
“Students are the identified
future decision makers in the management
of natural resources, so the need to engage
them from early on by improving their knowledge
on turtle ecology, biology and what we can
do to help grow their numbers is vital,”
he said.
From July 4th to 5th,
the team engaged students at Queen Victoria
School, Dawasamu and Tai District School
and Ratu Kadavulevu schools.
This is the second turtle
outreach program for schools, the first
in 2009 with Rakiraki division schools Nukuvadra
District, Rakiraki Primary and Malake District
School.
The Roadshow was first
trialed in Macuata in 2007.
Using simple, interactive
exercises like ‘Siwa’ and ‘Wind and Wave’,
the team shared information on the importance
of sustainable fishing and sustainable harvesting
of natural resources for the protection
of turtles.
With the activity termed
‘Siwa’ which simply means to fish, children
are grouped into circles. The centre of
the circle represents the fishing ground,
which for the purpose of the exercise is
littered with sweets to signify fish and
turtles.
Though tempted to grab
all the lollies at once, the students have
to exercise restraint and take only what
they need for their families and leave the
rest for tomorrow’s fishing effort.
In this way, they learn about the importance
of sustainable fishing to ensure there is
always fish for tomorrow and support the
growth of the sea turtle population.
But before the exercise,
the team talked to students about a turtle’s
biology and ecology, its nesting habits,
the fact that this ancient mariner has roamed
the world’s oceans since the time of dinosaurs
but now approach extinction because of human
greed and activity.
The presentation also
identified the five of the seven species
of turtles in the world that migrate through
Fiji waters.
An added dimension to
this year’s road-show was the incorporation
of the ecosystem based approach to augment
turtle conservation efforts.
In this, the wind and
wave activity sees students forming three
groups – some the wind, some the waves and
others the mangrove trees. Over time with
harvesting of mangroves for domestic use,
the line of mangroves thin out and offer
little coastal protection and the waves
and wind batter coastal settlements. The
message of this simple exercise is the sustainable
harvesting of mangroves, which offers both
coastal protection and a habitat for marine
creatures like crabs and a nursery for fishes
that in turn supply the oceans.
Mangrove trees also
serve as a filtration system, trapping sediments
washing off the land, keeping reef systems
where turtles forage, healthy.
“We’ve also requested
the students to go back to their communities
and share the message and when it comes
to a time when they help make decisions,
they are able to use the knowledge that
has been shared,” Tamata said.
Tamata added an annual
school visit plan will be developed, on
the strength of lessons learnt from visits
to these schools in the Eastern division
this year.
